Late Summer Mosquito Control Still Necessary

In July 2010, there were 3 fatalities due to a mosquito-borne virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), in Florida. This illness is quite rare in the United States. It is an inflammation of the brain with symptoms like sudden onset of headache, chills and high fever, and vomiting. The symptoms can begin within a few days or weeks of the mosquito bite. It can progress to seizures, disorientation and coma. Peak time for mosquito-borne viruses in the United States is considered to be mid-August through October. Don't stop with your mosquito control yet!

With the hot and humid weather, there is usually an increase in mosquito population. It is not uncommon to have an increase in mosquitoes after big storms. Mosquitoes really like the humidity. Higher temperatures at night also lead to a larger mosquito population. However, the weather can be too hot and too dry for mosquitoes. In the instance where there are less mosquitoes and more mosquitoes are inactive, mosquito bites can be potentially more dangerous because they are more potent.

Continue taking all the necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and long pants when it is weather permitting. Make sure your screens on doors and windows are intact to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites on your property. Empty stagnant birdbaths, pot saucers, tarps and tires. Use insect repellent or have your yard sprayed. Also, make sure you continue to protect your pets who are also prone to mosquitoes and the illnesses that they transport.

Pets and Mosquito Control

When you think about controlling mosquitoes to protect your family members, don't forget about the furry, four-legged members of your family also. Even though you may consider your cat or dog an indoor pet, they can still be exposed to a mosquito that gets inside the house through a window or open door. A bite from a mosquito to your pet could deliver an infective larvae that could migrate to your cat or dog's heart and develop into heartworms. In cats, many of the larvae do not develop into adult heartworms but travel to the lungs instead. This can cause severe respiratory illness. The treatments for heartworms in dogs are not easy and can be quite costly. The best treatment for your pets is prevention. Heartworm preventive medications that you get from your veterinarian are very effective. Make sure you still get your pets tested for heartworms at their regular checkup even if they take the preventive medication. Keep an eye out for symptoms in your dogs - coughing and shortness of breath. In your cats, coughing is also a symptom as well as vomiting and diarrhea. Heartworms are not always easy to detect but with preventive medicines, regular checkups and attention to your pet's overall well-being, you can certainly make sure you are doing your best to prevent a disease that can be potentially life-threatening. For more information on heartworm and your pet go to the American Heartworm Society's website at www.heartwormsociety.org.

Is Malaria still a problem with mosquito control?

I get so annoyed when my daughter comes in from playing out in the backyard with mosquito bites all over her. It looks awful and the itching makes her very uncomfortable. I don't really worry about malaria, though. Not the case for mothers in Africa!
Did you know that malaria has been eradicated from the United States for over 50 years? It has been under control, and in some instances, eliminated from parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas. However, malaria is the #1 single killer of children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 850,000 people a year die of malaria. The most astounding fact to me, though, is that it is totally preventable and treatable.
The mosquitoes are nocturnal in Africa. That's why a bed net is often all it takes to protect a mother and her children. For the small cost of $10, you can provide a bed net that will protect a mother and infant or two children for a period of 5 years. That is what Malaria No More does. Through donations, they provide long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets for families in Africa. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
If you are interested in finding out more information about Malaria No More or donating to them, visit www.malarianomore.org .

Mosquito: What you don't know could hurt you.

We thought we would start our blog with a little general information about the mosquito. We hope to make this blog interesting and an excellent source of information. So let's talk Mosquitoes. . .

More than an annoyance, mosquitoes are blood-sucking transmitters of horrific disease. Many scholars postulate that the mosquito is responsible for more human deaths throughout history than any other organism.

In the United States, we tend to be less aware of the deadly role of mosquitoes because we control their population to a great extent. Still, on average, over 1,000 Americans annually experience serious illness or death as a result of a mosquito bite.

To be fair, the mosquito by itself is not the danger. The problem is the bacteria and other parasites carried by the mosquito. The mosquito is simply the delivery mechanism for the parasite – just as a gun is the delivery mechanism for a bullet (except, this gun sucks your blood even when it’s not loaded).

The red, itchy bump at the site of a mosquito bite is your body’s reaction to the mosquito’s saliva – a reaction that occurs regardless of a parasite’s presence.

Quick mosquito facts

* There are over 3,000 mosquito species worldwide
* Over 150 mosquito species inhabit the U.S.
* A relatively small number of species transmit dangerous disease
* Only adult female mosquitoes bite
* A female mosquito needs one blood meal for every batch of eggs she produces
* Mosquitoes feed on nectar, plant juices and decaying plant material
* All mosquitoes have 4 distinct life stages:
o egg
o larva
o pupa
o adult
* Mosquito eggs require water to hatch into successful larvae
* Mosquito eggs can survive up to 7 years before hatching
* With a 100% survival rate, a single mosquito could be responsible for over 1 billion mosquito descendants in under a month

Mosquitoes: what you don't know could hurt you.

More than an annoyance, mosquitoes are blood-sucking transmitters of horrific disease. Many scholars postulate that the mosquito is responsible for more human deaths throughout history than any other organism.

In the United States, we tend to be less aware of the deadly role of mosquitoes because we control their population to a great extent. Still, on average, over 1,000 Americans annually experience serious illness or death as a result of a mosquito bite.

To be fair, the mosquito by itself is not the danger. The problem is the bacteria and other parasites carried by the mosquito. The mosquito is simply the delivery mechanism for the parasite – just as a gun is the delivery mechanism for a bullet (except, this gun sucks your blood even when it’s not loaded).

The red, itchy bump at the site of a mosquito bite is your body’s reaction to the mosquito’s saliva – a reaction that occurs regardless of a parasite’s presence.

Quick mosquito facts

• There are over 3,000 mosquito species worldwide
• Over 150 mosquito species inhabit the U.S.
• A relatively small number of species transmit dangerous disease
• Only adult female mosquitoes bite
• A female mosquito needs one blood meal for every batch of eggs she produces
• Mosquitoes feed on nectar, plant juices and decaying plant material
• All mosquitoes have 4 distinct life stages:
  • egg
  • larva
  • pupa
  • adult
• Mosquito eggs require water to hatch into successful larvae
• Mosquito eggs can survive up to 7 years before hatching
• With a 100% survival rate, a single mosquito could be responsible for over 1 billion mosquito descendants in under a month